Is 'Dexter' Too Dirty For Primetime?

2.27K

Molly Friedman

02/22/08 06:20PM

Filed to: Defamer

This image was lost some time after publication.

Parenthood groups are always trying to ruin the fun. Just after adorable homocidal freak Dexter made his debut on CBS to triumphant ratings, the Parents Television Council is trying to take the show off the air (or at least back to Showtime, where skeeviness and scandal rules). Despite having some of the funniest accusatory headlines we've seen since "Headless Body In Topless Bar" on their site (NBC is guilty of Airing Nudity and Assaulting Families!), Dexter seems to have pushed their buttons more than any entries on their list of Worst Shows On Television:

"What could possibly lead them to determine that a show about a pathological serial killer 'hero' could be appropriate for 14-year old children? The only reason is corporate greed."

The only problem with the PTC's anti-Dexter statement is their examples of oh-so-gruesomeness, which only make us want to watch more and more. And, since we can still perfectly remember that Kelly Gets Raped episode of 90210 our parents wouldn't let us watch, kids are just gonna hear these rants and wanna see the gore more than ever: "the show featured Dexter cutting [a] man with a scalpel and then approaching his head with an electric saw...lining up severed body parts on a table, and driving his car while the severed head of a woman hits the car and rolls into the street." We've been waiting for a more comedic take on severed body parts ever since the stench of I Know Who Killed Me gave us the slightest distaste for them.

CBS DEEMS SERIAL KILLER TV SHOW TO BE APPROPRIATE FOR 14-YEAR OLD CHILDREN [PTC]
PTC CALLS FOR 'DEXTER' AD BOYCOTT [THR]

The following replies are approved. To see additional replies that are pending approval, click Show Pending. Warning: These may contain graphic material.

superunison Molly Friedman 02/22/08 06:35PM

Apparently the PTC has never seen (or at least taken one of the central messages from) the show: Fucking know your goddamn kids and raise them instead of counting on fucking CBS to do it for you. The reason that, in the show, Dexter is a vigilante instead of a spree killer is that he's been parented by a father who understands and cares about him. Maybe if that was their concern, instead of trying to turn everyone into a goddamn mormon, we wouldn't be the glued into the puritanical clusterfuck we are today. Instead, violence becomes this forbidden fruit instead of being something you can discuss in a critical context with a kid. Damn, I feel lucky to have been raised by thoughtful people.

LLH Molly Friedman 02/22/08 08:29PM

@ heidiho... HELL YEA it got better!!!

cbs already cut so much of the "bad" stuff out and overdubbed the swearing (mother lover anyone?) that it's pratically g rated. i've seen worse on all of the csi franchises. in my book dexter is WAY hotter than grisolm and ginger hair wots-his-name so those uptight asswipes can SUCK IT!

TryThisAtHome Molly Friedman 02/22/08 07:13PM

@SuperUnison: Just because the show is gory and has creepy music and out-of-focus flashbacks does not make it a good show. It kinda sucks. And let's not forget that the tagline is "Everybody's favorite serial killer." You can see the parent's point. Putting it on at 10PM is a good move, though. That takes it out of "prime time," when all the little kiddies might accidentally watch it. And I mean accidentally watch, because of all the gd bloody promotions for the later night programs that come on during "family hour."

crackbabyjesus Molly Friedman 02/22/08 06:27PM

I'll take Dexter and his severed body parts and his sexy sexy sex-appeal over the stupid slutty girls and boys of "Big Brother" and the like. Why show a fake severed leg when you can watch a *real* person give a *real* blowjob! OMG!!

Michael C. Hall is my future ex-husband.